


Catch (for) Me

by miloron (ocoa)



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Injury, M/M, Vague angst, high school baseball au, mention of jihan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-21 20:35:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20699486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ocoa/pseuds/miloron
Summary: Aron's high school baseball career ended, sudden and final.





	Catch (for) Me

**Author's Note:**

> I've really gotten back into my baseball manga days LOL ookiku furikabutte and daiya no ace stans whadduppp
> 
> [Prompt: https://twitter.com/kwaks43/status/1163733946896486401?s=20]
> 
> It's a bit half assed, but I'm trying to force myself to get back into writing because I'm really out of practice. I just hope that it's like not too terrible ;-;

Aron slows to a stop when he recognises the familiar silhouette by the school gate. It’s not like it was easily misunderstood when there were only a handful of people who would wait at a school gate in full catching gear, but even if he wasn’t, Aron could never mistake the other. He spent two years staring at that form, it was hard to forget. Jonghyun looked up when he notices Aron, and the smile that spreads from his mouth is pointedly cheerful.

“Hyung.”

Aron debates walking away, like he already did before, but there’s something that makes him stop and grin, albeit awkwardly. “Jonghyun, shouldn’t you be at practice? Is our dear captain skipping?”

Jonghyun stumbled, emotions flashing by so fast Aron could barely catch them. “You…You aren’t there either." 

“Well, there’s not much point for me to be there now.”

Jonghyun’s lips purse, chapped and injured. 

“Besides, it’s not like there aren’t people to replace me. Isn’t Jeonghan’s curveball getting pretty good?”

Jonghyun’s fingers twitch, “he’s Joshua’s, not mine.”

Aron barked out a laugh to cover up the twinge of feeling in his chest. _Mine_, he says. He supposed that was true, that even when the catchers and pitchers in Pledis could all form a fairly competent battery in any combination, there was no denying that Jeonghan would always be Joshua’s pitcher.

The same way Aron would always be Jonghyun’s.

He feels something crumble in him, like a sandcastle too dry to hold itself together, falling apart at the seams. His leg reminds him again with an ache that crawls up to his spine, the pitying voice of the doctor saying _I’m sorry._

“I can’t play, Jonghyun.”

The words come out too raw, and his throat closes up at the reminder. What’s the point in going to club when by the time he’s recovered he’d have to step down? He had always been running on a timer. It was just that the moment the opposing batter hit a foul ball to his kneecap, he ran out of time. Jonghyun’s hands caught his, bumpy and rough and calloused.

“Wait for us.” His voice is shaking. “We’ll keep winning until you can play again. I swear. But,” his hands tighten and they’re warm, “come back. We need you.”

Aron could never say no to his catcher, especially when his eyes are sharp with certainty. He’s seen this look when Jonghyun gave the sign for a particular pitch, when he knows that they’re going to win. This was Jonghyun on the dugout, in front of him, and telling him with utmost confidence. Two years ago, Jonghyun took his hand and told him to trust him. It’s not so different now.

Aron huffed.

He’s always been weak to his catcher.


End file.
